Friends, Old and New
by 105ttt
Summary: Years before the events of Pokémon Sword and Shield, Kabu has arrived in Galar and is becoming accustomed to his new home in Motostoke. He has become friends with two children, Milo of Turffield and Nessa of Hulbury, who come to visit him often. On one day in particular, they decide to listen to Kabu talk about his home in Hoenn - and an exciting phenomenon called Mega Evolution!


Author's note: This fic was inspired by a lovely piece of fanart drawn by Chips_n_Cookies on Twitter! Go check out their art!

* * *

Motostoke is a bustling city of gears, steam, people, and Pokémon.

Despite having moved to the city a few months ago, Kabu is still amazed every now and then by its wonders. Maybe amazed isn't the right word - pleasantly surprised is more like it. He enjoys the ease of using the automatic lifts and the immense network of tall metal stairs that snake throughout the western third of the city. He tries to find ways in which the city is like his hometown of Lavaridge back in Hoenn, and the closest thing he can think of is the constant presence of steam (though the steam in Motostoke is channeled into machines to power the lifts instead of flowing freely in the air above hot springs, as in Lavaridge). Homesickness is unavoidable, it seems, but he doesn't regret moving. He's already made some new friends who are helping him adjust, and he has a promising career ahead of him if he manages to make it far in the Galar League. His sights are set on becoming the Galar Champion, and he's set to pursue that goal no matter the cost.

But constant training doesn't do anyone any good, and today he's taking a break to explore Motostoke with two people he's met since coming to Galar. Their names are Milo and Nessa, and they both can't be older than 9 or 10 years old, but they've taken a liking to Kabu already, having met him while on a trip to Motostoke with Professor Magnolia and her granddaughter. They spent the whole day teaching him the secrets of the city and the easiest ways to get around, and ever since then, they beg Kabu to play with them whenever they visit Motostoke. He's grateful for their help that day, and so he humors them, happy to keep an eye on them and make sure they're safe as they run around town.

The Battle Café is Milo's favorite spot (Nessa prefers the park further west, where there is plenty of water like her hometown of Hulbury), and after a long day of walking, the two kids could use a snack.

As the three of them walk into the café, the owner gives them a warm smile.

"Welcome to the Battle Café! You can battle here daily. If you win, you get a treat on the house!"

"Thank you," Kabu smiles back to him politely. "May I challenge you to a battle? This little one here wants Moomoo Milk," he says, motioning to Milo, who gasps.

"Mr. Kabu! You don't have to battle just for me! Mum gave me money to buy something while I was here!"

Kabu turns to Milo and bends down to be eye-level with him. "It's alright, Milo. I'm not really in the mood to eat or drink anything anyway."

"If you're sure…" Milo mumbles as he fiddles with his scarf. "Thank you, Mr. Kabu."

"Don't mention it," Kabu says before ruffling Milo's hair and turning back to the café owner.

"I'm ready to battle when you are."

* * *

It's an impressive sight to see. Kabu is careful about his directions and takes his time thinking of a strategy before giving his commands, and his Pokémon's moves are calculated yet powerful. Watching them battle reminds one of a firedancer: their movements are captivating yet incredibly precise.

The battle is over after a short rally of moves (Kabu's Ninetales and Arcanine easily overpower the Swirlix and Milcery on the café owner's team), and Kabu gives Milo his Moomoo Milk as promised. Milo beams as he opens the bottle and takes a big gulp.

"Thank you, Kabu, sir! Mum tells me I should drink Moomoo Milk if I want to be big and strong someday!"

"She's right," Kabu says, then turns to Nessa. "Would you like anything, Nessa?"

"But I thought the owner said you only get _one _free treat per battle!" Nessa says, looking confusedly past Kabu to the café owner, who is currently turned away cleaning some drinking glasses.

"I'll pay for it."

Milo and Nessa both gasp, and Nessa shakes her hands in front of herself.

"That's not necessary! I'm fine!"

"I'll pay for it with the money Mum gave me!" Milo offers, but Kabu shakes his head.

"You helped me when I first came to Galar, Nessa. This is the least I can do."

"Are you sure?" Nessa asks, kicking at the ground shyly. Kabu nods.

"I am sure. What would you like?"

"Um… can I have some Berry Juice?" Nessa asks quietly, looking over the menu hanging on the wall behind the café's counter.

"Absolutely," Kabu answers.

He strolls up to the counter and is about to order, but something catches his attention just as the café owner asks what he'd like.

"Hm? Something wrong, sir?" The owner asks. Kabu flinches and shakes his head.

"Nothing's wrong," he replies. He leans in closer to the display case resting on the counter, his eyes fixated on one treat in particular.

It's a small brown cracker-like cookie, and though most people wouldn't think twice about it, Kabu recognizes it immediately because of its distinctive black marking.

"What's wrong, Mr. Kabu?" Nessa pulls at his shirt.

Kabu looks down to her and smiles. "That's a Lava Cookie."

"A Lava Cookie?"

"They're the local delicacy of my hometown in Hoenn, Lavaridge Town."

"Oh, a Hoennite!" The café owner laughs cheerfully. "It's not often we get foreign customers! Most people only visit Wyndon."

"I'm here to participate in the Galar League."

"Oh, you'll be leaving afterward?"

"If I don't become the Champion…" his voice trails off slightly, "then yes."

"Well, since you came all the way here from Hoenn, just like this cookie, why don't you have it on the house! I'll only charge you for the little lady's Berry Juice," the café owner winks and retrieves the cookie for Kabu before preparing the Berry Juice.

Though Kabu wasn't really hungry before, he can't refuse the café owner's generous offer, and he admits to himself that just seeing the cookie in the display has alleviated his homesickness just a bit (and he loves the taste of the cookie anyway, so he can't complain).

Milo and Nessa gawk at the cookie as Kabu takes it in his hand.

"That cookie really came all the way here from Hoenn?" Milo asks.

"All the way from Lavaridge Town," Kabu answers.

"Just like you, Mr. Kabu!" Milo grins.

"You're right," Kabu grins back, and once Nessa's Berry Juice is prepared and paid for, the three of them find a table and enjoy their snacks.

Milo has always been a bit greedy with his food, and he finishes the Moomoo Milk rather quickly, having already been working on it while Kabu was ordering the Berry Juice.

"Milo! Don't finish so soon," Nessa groans, and Milo rubs the back of his head shyly.

"Sorry, Nessa! It's a habit. Mum always cooks a lot of food for the family, since we work so hard all day! I have to eat so much, eating it at a normal pace would take hours!"

"Well, I can't argue with that," Nessa says as she leans back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Mum makes lots of food for Dad when he gets home since he's out fishing all day and hardly gets a break."

As the children talk amongst themselves, Kabu takes his first bite of the Lava Cookie. A familiar flavor - spicy, yet sweet at the same time, akin to that of cinnamon - arises in his mouth, and for a moment he closes his eyes and lets himself see Lavaridge Town and its hot springs, its Gym, and all the people he's left behind.

Perhaps it's because of the spice that his eyes water a bit, or maybe it's something else, but he wipes away the tears nonetheless and hopes neither of the children saw it.

Unfortunately, the children did indeed see it, and now they stare at him curiously.

"Are you okay, Mr. Kabu?" Nessa asks, eyebrows furrowed concernedly.

Kabu waves his hand. "I'm fine. Thank you, Nessa."

"Okay…"

"Hey, Mr. Kabu!" Milo says, putting his hand on the table. "Tell us about your home! Lava Town!"

Kabu laughs. "It's Lava_ridge_ Town, Milo."

"Oh, whoops…" Milo mutters, retracting a little. Kabu pats his hand.

"It's okay. You've never heard of it before."

"What _is_ it like? Lavaridge Town, I mean, and Hoenn," Nessa asks, putting elbows on the table and her chin in her hands.

Kabu strokes his chin, looking to the side. "Well, it's a lot different than Galar."

Nessa continues to watch Kabu as she takes a sip of her Berry Juice. "How so?"

"Well, for starters, the Gyms there aren't big stadiums like they are here."

"Really?" Milo raises an eyebrow. "Then how do you Pokémon Dynamax?"

"They don't Dynamax."

Nessa and Milo stare at him, mouths open in surprise. Kabu chuckles.

"There's no such thing as Dynamax in Hoenn. You need Power Spots and Dynamax Bands to Dynamax your Pokémon, and we don't have either of those."

"Booooo!" Nessa whines, crossing her arms again and kicking her legs. "That doesn't sound fun at all!"

"Well, what if I told you we had something _other _than Dynamax?"

The children's eyes widen, and they both lean in closer, nearly crawling onto the table.

"Something _other _than Dynamax?" Milo asks, starry-eyed.

"What is it?" Nessa urges, grinning widely.

"Why don't I show you?" Kabu offers, and the children look to each other with an excited gasp.

"Really?" They both ask at the same time, looking right back to Kabu.

"Really, really," Kabu assures them, "but first, let's finish our snacks, okay?"

"Okay," Nessa grumbles and sits back in her chair, drinking her Berry Juice as Kabu continues munching away at his Lava Cookie.

* * *

For the demonstration, Kabu wants to have an open space, and so he brings the two children to the bridge on the eastern side of Motostoke. It's relatively free of pedestrians and wild Eldegoss floating on the wind today, which Kabu is thankful for, because he'd hate for someone or something to be caught off-guard by what's about to happen.

When he's sure the conditions are right, he crouches down to speak to Milo and Nessa.

"What I'm about to show you is called Mega Evolution."

"'Mega Evolution'?" Milo repeats. Kabu nods.

"Have either of you heard of Gigantamax?"

"I have!" Nessa quickly raises her hand and shakes it. "Sonia's gran told me about it one time!"

"Professor Magnolia studie Dynamax and Gigantamax, doesn't she?"

"She does! She told me Gigantamax is a special type of Dynamax where the Pokémon grows bigger and stronger _and _changes its appearance!" Nessa emphasizes the last part by raising her arms high in the air.

Kabu nods. "That's right. Mega Evolution is kind of like Gigantamax, except the Pokémon doesn't change its size - only its appearance. And it becomes much stronger, too."

"Wow…" Milo breathes. "And you can do Mega Evolution?"

"_I_ can't Mega Evolve, but one of my Pokémon can," Kabu says, and then he retrieves a Poké Ball from his belt. "Like Gigantamax, only certain Pokémon can Mega Evolve, but unlike Gigantamax, any individual from a species can Mega Evolve if conditions are right."

"What are the conditions?" Nessa asks, looking intently at the Poké Ball in Kabu's hand.

"Well, the Trainer must have a Key Stone, and the Pokémon must hold a Mega Stone."

Milo frowns. "What are those?"

"They're very special stones that only certain Trainers possess. They're not easy to come by, though they're not as rare as Wishing Stars…"

"And _you _have one, Mr. Kabu?"

"I do. It was a parting gift from my family before I came to Galar. It's in this Mega Bracelet," Kabu replies, holding up his wrist to reveal a bracelet that he'd put on once they reached the bridge. "And my Pokémon is holding a Mega Stone. Each species of Pokémon that can Mega Evolve has its own special Mega Stone. But there's one more component you need if you want to Mega Evolve your Pokémon."

"_Another_ component?" Nessa mumbles, looking at the Mega Bracelet. "What is it?"

"You have to have a strong bond with your Pokémon. Key Stones and Mega Stones amplify the energy of your bond with your Pokémon and synchronize your feelings with each other. This energy and synchronization is what allows your Pokémon to Mega Evolve. That's another way it's different from Gigantamax. Instead of just channeling Dynamax Energy from a Power Spot into a special band and then into a Poké Ball, you have to create the energy which powers the Mega Evolution _yourself _by forming a bond of friendship with your Pokémon. Only then will you be able to successfully perform Mega Evolution."

"That sounds like a lot of work…" Milo mumbles, biting his fingernails.

"It does take work, but it's worth it. Mega Evolution makes your Pokémon very strong. And it lasts for the whole battle, rather than for only a certain period of time like Gigantamax does. Sometimes, it can even change the Pokémon's type!"

"Alright, then show us!" Nessa implores. "I wanna see it!"

"Me too!" Milo cheers, and Kabu laughs.

"Alright! Let me show you a Pokémon I didn't use during the battle at the café! Go, Blaziken!"

Kabu turns away from the children and readies his Poké Ball, then throws it in a perfect arc. When the ball bursts open, Nessa and Milo gasp.

Standing before them is a Pokémon they've never seen before - it resembles a chicken, but it's much more humanoid, and it has flames erupting from its wrists.

"Blaziken…" Nessa says under her breath. "Is it a Fire-type?"

"It's a Fire- and Fighting-type."

"How cool!" Milo runs up to the Pokémon, which smiles at him. "It looks so strong! My Gossifleur wouldn't stand a chance against it!"

"Maybe my Chewtle could defeat it!" Nessa grins and turns to Kabu. "What do you think, Kabu?"

"Maybe it could! But it would be much harder if I made it Mega Evolve. My Blaziken is holding a Blazikenite."

"Is that its Mega Stone?" Milo asks, looking at Blaziken's hands. He spots it holding a clear stone with a red-and-black wisp inside it, like a marble.

"It is," Kabu answer, and then he watches Nessa run over to Blaziken and look at the Mega Stone as well. She turns back to look at Kabu, grinning widely.

"Show us, Mr. Kabu! Show us Mega Evolution!"

"Well then, I need you two to stand back!" He grins back to her, and the two children distance themselves from the Pokémon, giggling as they run.

Kabu takes a slow breath, then looks determinedly to Blaziken. "Are you ready?"

Blaziken nods, igniting its wrists and letting out an enthusiastic cry. Kabu nods back to it and feels his heart beating in his chest. He listens carefully and hears Blaziken's heart beating in sync with his own.

"Blaziken! Mega Evolve!" He yells, then presses his fingers to the Key Stone.

Suddenly, a colorful light bursts forth from the Key Stone, followed by an eruption of rays from the Mega Stone, and it engulfs Blaziken entirely. Nessa and Milo watch in awe while trying to shield their eyes from the bright light. Just when it becomes too bright to handle, they hear a loud _boom _followed by another cry from Blaziken.

As they remove their hands from their eyes, they gasp. Its shape has changed entirely; the flames on its wrists are now long and ropelike, and its feathers have become a fierce combination of red and black. The two children gasp joyfully.

"Mr. Kabu! This is so cool!" Milo shouts, running up to Blaziken and hugging one of its legs. The warmth from Mega Blaziken's body is surprisingly not overwhelming - he might fall asleep if he stayed there too long. Nessa runs up to Mega Blaziken as well and hugs its other leg before looking to Kabu.

"Do you think Chewtle can Mega Evolve?" She asks eagerly, her voice shaky with excitement.

Kabu shrugs. "I don't know! I guess we'll have to look for a Chewtleite!"

"Then let's go right now!" Nessa says, bouncing her knees.

"Maybe we'll find a Gossifleurite!" Milo muses, looking down to the ground in thought.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Kabu asks. He looks to Mega Blaziken. "Can you carry them?"

Mega Blaziken nods and carefully takes the two children into its arms (being careful not to accidentally touch them with the flames from its wrists) and sets each one onto one of its shoulders. Nessa and Milo nuzzle its head gently, and it smiles before crying out excitedly and running back towards the town.

"And we're off!" Kabu yells, doing his best to stay as close behind Mega Blaziken as possible. He hears the children giggling as Mega Blaziken runs, and he thinks about how he doesn't have the heart to tell them that no Mega Stones for Galarian Pokémon have ever been discovered and that Mega Evolution is banned in the Galar League anyway.

* * *

It's late by the time that the children are tuckered out from searching for Mega Stones in Motostoke, and Kabu knows that it's best for them to go home before the sun sets. Luckily, they can call Flying Taxis to take them home to Turffield and Hulbury, so Kabu just needs to convince them to come down from Mega Blaziken's shoulders (which is hard to do, because they love the view from up there). He's only able to convince them to come down after promising they can come visit Mega Blaziken again very soon, and that he'll play with them again when they come to visit.

Nessa yawns and leans on Mega Blaziken's leg as she talks.

"Thanks for playing with us, Mr. Kabu."

"Of course," Kabu nods.

"Thank you too, Blaziken," Milo thanks the Pokémon as he descends from its shoulders. Mega Blaziken nuzzles him one last time in return.

"I'll call Flying Taxis for you both," Kabu says, retrieving his Rotom Phone (which he bought shortly after arriving in Galar, trading in his PokéNav Plus for it).

"Oh, wait!" Milo cries suddenly, reaching for something in her pocket. "Before you do that, Nessa and I have a present for you!"

Kabu blinks. "A present for _me_?"

Nessa nods. "We caught a Galarian Pokémon just for you! Think of it as a welcome present… a very _late _welcome present," she laughs nervously.

Kabu shakes his head. "It's alright. Thank you both so much!"

"Sure!" Milo smiles, then hands him a Poké Ball.

"Throw it!" Nessa urges.

Kabu laughs, then throws the Poké Ball, eager to see just what they've caught for him. When the Poké Ball bursts open, he's greeted by a small Pokémon that resembles a centipede. It crawls around slowly on the ground, taking in its surroundings. Kabu sighs happily.

"You caught a Sizzlipede for me," he smiles, crouching down and holding out his hand to it. The Sizzilipede stares curiously at his hand for a moment before carefully crawling onto it and observing the rest of him. He stands back up and makes a motion to pet it, which he only does after it initially retracts shyly and then relaxes enough to let him touch it.

"Do you like it?" Nessa asks excitedly.

"I love it. Thank you both," Kabu responds, watching with a smile as the Sizzlipede makes its way up his arm and rests on his shoulder, already starting to fall asleep.

"Of course, Mr. Kabu! But you should really thank only Nessa! Her Chewtle did all the work of weakening it enough to catch it! My Gossifleur didn't stand a chance!" Milo admits, motioning proudly to Nessa, who puts her hands on her hips and huffs confidently.

"It was no trouble at all, Mr. Kabu!"

"I'll take good care of it. Now, let's get you two on your way home."

Kabu calls the Flying Taxis, and when they arrive, Nessa runs to him and grips him tightly.

"See you, Mr. Kabu!"

"I'll see you, Nessa," Kabu smiles gently and ruffles her hair before looking to Milo. "I'll see you too, Milo."

"Goodbye! Thank you, sir!" Milo calls out to him as he steps into the Flying Taxi, and after Nessa boards hers, the two of them are soon far away on the horizon.

Kabu sighs tiredly and watches as Mega Blaziken reverts to its normal form.

"Thank you so much, Blaziken. You really made their day."

Blaziken nods, and Kabu returns it to its Poké Ball so that it can take a good rest. Then, he looks to Sizzlipede, who is still resting on his shoulder, and gently strokes it with his finger. It flinches as it suddenly wakes up at his touch and looks around again before spotting Kabu's friendly face.

"What do you think, Sizzlipede? Do you want to be part of my team?"

Sizzlipede nuzzles his cheek, and he laughs, and as Kabu makes his way back home, he doesn't return Sizzlipede to its Poké Ball. He just lets it rest there - happy to have made a new friend.


End file.
